Braver Than You Think
by emmacortana
Summary: One shot of Leo alone after his mom's death. Soon to be a collection of one shots featuring the seven, Nico, Thalia, Bianca, Reyna and others about the world trying to break their spirit and their endurance and how they stood strong. Please R&R!


**Hey pee-pol-ease. Long time no see. It's Emma here, and I have spent all of today just sadly realizing just how bad all these heroes had it, and just how strong they are. So, I'm planning on making a chapter for each demigod, just so we can really appreciate them and love them to the fullest. So first off, is Leo. I think that out of all of them, Leo is the one who needs family most. Everyone else had a family, or even one person for most of their childhood (Luke, Thalia, Chiron and the camp counts for Annabeth, and Camp Jupiter for Jason), but Leo had his mom, who was the whole world to him, only until he was eight. And then, he had to live with the grief and even the guilt (although he did nothing wrong), and bounced from foster home to foster home after being kicked out by his own aunt, and running away so many times. So whoever thinks that Leo doesn't deserve these few minutes of our attention and this tribute, you answer to me. So here it is.**

Leo shivered in the cold.

He was in the back of an alleyway, huddled up against the dumpster. His thin clothing provided no barrier between him and the wind and snow of the December weather. It was Christmas Eve, or perhaps Christmas. Leo had no idea if it was past midnight yet, and he didn't care to find out.

He looked at the broken chair tossed out for the garbage men to pick up later. It was made entirely out of wood, painted gold. And he was so cold, too cold. Perhaps he could-

 _ **No.** _ He banished the thought as quickly as it came. _**He could not- would not- use his fire. Never again.**_

Leo pulled his knees closer to his chest, wincing as they hit his bony ribs. He couldn't remember the last time he ate. Two days ago? Maybe three? No matter, soon there would be piles of leftovers, deemed not worthy enough to be eaten again. But he was thirsty. He took out his water bottle and took a swig. Only a drop landed in his parched mouth.

He shoved as much snow as possible into the water bottle, than snuggled it up against his body for heat. He knew it was freezing, but he couldn't even feel it against his skin, pale in the weather. He hoped it would melt quickly, as his lips hurt when he smiled or talked, and his tongue provided no additional moisture. During the winter, the city turned off the water fountains for fear of the water freezing, leaving Leo to his own resources.

Leo rested his head against the wall. Closing his eyes, searching for sleep, only to find it driven away by the cold once more. He tried again, but turned up empty handed.

After a while, he gave up, and sat up. He pulled a ziploc bag out from his pocket, folded over a small rectangular object. He unwrapped the layers, and took the object out. It was no bigger than his palm, and was a delicate, fragile thing. A picture, of a life no longer there. A picture of Then-Leo and his mother. Esperanza Valdez hugged her son and smiled at him as if he was the most important thing in the world. Her hands were shiny with machine grease, his no better. How could this have only been four months ago, when he had been so happy? How could a life be lost between one day and the next, as if it was no more important then a piece of wood, burning down so quickly, here one moment, and then, gone.

 _Gone._

Now-Leo's vision blurred with tears, coming against his will. He hugged it against his chest as so it would not get wet or damaged. He felt such a big surge of emotion, and couldn't help but sob. He lied back down, and muffled the sounds with the cold ground, covered in a blanket of snow. His Mother's death was not too recent, but the grief stayed as if she'd died only minutes ago.

He remembered his mom soothing the cuts the wires made on his small hands, kissing the pain away. Taking him out for ice cream, even though she knew they couldn't afford it.

He remembered her brushing his curls back, telling him in her sweet, calm voice " _Nothing is unfix-able, mijo._ "

He remembered her warmth, her smile, her love.

Unconsciously, Leo softly tapped on the ground, making no sound with his numb fingers. ._.._..._. . Love. His fingers found his mothers face, brushing lightly against it. He tapped her on her arm _I love you_ in morse code. Then he held the only relic of his mother as close to his heart as possible, pressing against his skin with all his strength, and for a moment he felt warmth.

The air heated up around him, making him feel deliciously warm. He could almost picture a blazing fireplace in front of him, and an arm around his small body. His mother's hand, scarred from many years working in a machine work shop, reaching out for his face.

And then it was gone. All except for a little fire against his chest. He liked it. It felt good.

He kept it for a little while longer, until he realized it was an actual fire.

"No, no, no!"He muttered with wide eyes, as he quickly threw the flaming picture out of his hands and into the snow. He plunged his hands into it too, willing the fire to die. The snow only melted, until he calmed down enough to control it. He then tossed snow on top of the picture, hoping to salvage it.

He was too late.

The only thing left was the charred corner of the living room. The rest was ashes.

Tears fell down his face like a water fall, and he couldn't stop the wail of pure misery that followed shortly after. He was too weak. He couldn't control or stop his own body, and now it was as if his mom was truly gone.

Now, he was truly alone.

 **So, I hope you liked, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! And you might enjoy my other fanfic "We'll be Family Again" That centers around the sibling bond between Jason and Thalia. Bye!**


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